Part of a package of three bills in relation to the Seacare scheme, the bill imposes a seafarers insurance levy (to support a safety net fund where an employer cannot meet its workers’ compensation obligations) and a seafarers cost recovery levy (to enable the recovery of the costs of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, Comcare and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in performing their respective regulatory functions) on seafarer berths.

Part of a package of three bills in relation to the Seacare scheme, the bill provides for the collection of the seafarers insurance levy and the seafarers cost recovery levy by: requiring employers of seafarers to lodge returns in relation to the number of seafarer berths aboard a prescribed vessel and make levy payments quarterly; providing for a late payment penalty; providing for the appointment of authorised persons and the manner in which authorised persons may have access to premises and books for the purpose of examining certain matters; and enabling the transfer of funds raised by the cost recovery levy to Comcare and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

to expand the functions of the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Efic) to include the provision of services to Commonwealth entities and companies, subject to ministerial approval; and expand Efic’s powers to enable direct lending to a wider range of small to medium sized enterprises.